Meet exciting Irish teenager Kone-Doherty set to complete Liverpool transfer

Liverpool have been busy adding to their academy over recent years, and Trent Kone-Doherty the next youngster on the way to Anfield.

The Reds have one of the world's most profitable academies, with more than £100m raised in transfer fees over the years. And there are more talents on the way, with Kaide Gordon among those to step up this season after gaining the backing of academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Kone-Doherty could be next in line, with the Belfast Telegraph reporting that Jurgen Klopp's side are the clear front-runners for his signature. And he's just the latest teenager linked with a switch after reports of Celtic's Ben Doak being close to a move south of the border.

Kone-Doherty is currently on the books of Derry City, who play in the League of Ireland. He doesn't turn 16 until the summer - the summer he was born was the same summer when Liverpool brought Dirk Kuyt to Anfield, with Rafa Benitez still in the dugout and the likes of Jerzy Dudek and Sami Hyypia still on the Reds' books.

A winger by trade, he is comfortable on the right or the left and is already representing Derry's under-19 side. He has even made the bench for Ruaidhrí Higgins' first team, but has yet to make his senior debut.

The youngster's progress at such a young age may remind Liverpool fans of current first teamer Harvey Elliott. The Reds' number 67 was just 15 himself when he made his senior debut for Fulham, and has looked every part a Premier League player this season at the age of 18.

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As he moves closer to the start of his senior career, Kone-Doherty has been attracting the interest of plenty of clubs. Not least Celtic, with whom he trained before Liverpool moved to the front of the queue.

He has already represented Ireland at under-16 and under-17 level, scoring in friendlies against Malta and Northern Ireland. However, being from Derry, he is free to move to England before the age of 18 while those from the Republic of Ireland are unable to do so.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, Derry City will be in line for a six-figure sum in compensation if a move to Anfield goes through. The club have lost players to the English league system in the past, notably seeing James McClean join Sunderland in 2011 before going on to represent the Irish national side at the European Championships.

The links come at a time when plenty of Liverpool teenagers are being handed first team minutes by Klopp. Gordon and Tyler Morton have both featured in the Premier League this season, while cup competitions have brought chances for the likes of Max Woltman, Connor Bradley and Melkamu Frauendorf.